pioneers of the old south-第19部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



When　civil　war　between　King　and　Parliament　broke　out　in　England；　sentiment
in　Maryland　as　in　Virginia　inclined　toward　the　King。　But　that　Puritan；
Non…conformist；　and　republican　element　that　was　in　both　colonies　might　be
expected　to　gain　if；　at　home　in　England；　the　Parliamentary　party　gained。　A
Royal　Governor　or　a　Lord　Proprietary's　Governor　might　alike　be　perplexed　by
the　political　turmoil　in　the　mother　country。　Leonard　Calvert　felt　the　need
of　first…hand　consultation　with　his　brother。　Leaving　Giles　Brent　in　his
place；　he　sailed　for　England；　talked　there　with　Baltimore　himself；
perplexed　and　filled　with　foreboding；　and　returned　to　Maryland　not　greatly
wiser　than　when　he　went。

Maryland　was　soon　convulsed　by　disorders　which　in　many　ways　reflected　the
unsettled　conditions　in　England。　A　London　ship；　commanded　by　Richard　Ingle；
a　Puritan　and　a　staunch　upholder　of　the　cause　of　Parliament；　arrived　before
St。　Mary's；　where　he　gave　great　offense　by　his　blatant　remarks　about　the
King　and　Rupert；　〃that　Prince　Rogue。〃　Though　he　was　promptly　arrested　on
the　charge　of　treason；　he　managed　to　escape　and　soon　left　the　loyal　colony
far　astern。

In　the　meantime　Leonard　Calvert　had　come　back　to　Maryland；　where　he　found
confusion　and　a　growing　heat　and　faction　and　side…taking　of　a　bitter　sort。
To　add　to　the　turmoil；　William　Claiborne；　among　whose　dominant　traits　was
an　inability　to　recognize　defeat；　was　making　attempts　upon　Kent　Island。
Calvert　was　not　long　at　St。　Mary's　ere　Ingle　sailed　in　again　with
letters…of…marque　from　the　Long　Parliament。　Ingle　and　his　men　landed　and
quickly　found　out　the　Protestant　moiety　of　the　colonists。　There　followed　an
actual　insurrection；　the　Marylanders　joining　with　Ingle　and　much　aided　by
Claiborne；　who　now　retook　Kent　Island。　The　insurgents　then　captured　St。
Mary's　and　forced　the　Governor　to　flee　to　Virginia。　For　two　years　Ingle
ruled　and　plundered；　sequestrating　goods　of　the　Proprietary's　adherents；
and　deporting　in　irons　Jesuit　priests。　At　the　end　of　this　time　Calvert
reappeared；　and　behind　him　a　troop　gathered　in　Virginia。　Now　it　was　Ingle's
turn　to　flee。　Regaining　his　ship；　he　made　sail　for　England；　and　Maryland
settled　down　again　to　the　ancient　order。　The　Governor　then　reduced　Kent
Island。　Claiborne；　again　defeated；　retired　to　Virginia；　whence　he　sailed
for　England。

In　1647　Leonard　Calvert　died。　Until　the　Proprietary's　will　should　be　known；
Thomas　Greene　acted　as　Governor。　Over　in　England；　Lord　Baltimore　stood　at
the　parting　of　the　ways。　The　King's　cause　had　a　hopeless　look。　Roundhead
and　Parliament　were　making　way　in　a　mighty　tide。　Baltimore　was　marked　for　a
royalist　and　a　Catholic。　If　the　tide　rose　farther；　he　might　lose　Maryland。
A　sagacious　mind；　he　proceeded　to　do　all　that　he　could；　short　of　denying
his　every　belief；　to　placate　his　enemies。　He　appointed　as　Governor　of
Maryland　William　Stone；　a　Puritan；　and　into　the　Council；　numbering　five
members；　he　put　three　Puritans。　On　the　other　hand　the　interests　of　his
Maryland　Catholics　must　not　be　endangered。　He　required　of　the　new　Governor
not　to　molest　any　person　〃professing　to　believe　in　Jesus　Christ；　and　in
particular　any　Roman　Catholic。〃　In　this　way　he　thought　that；　right　and　left；
he　might　provide　against　persecution。

Under　these　complex　influences　the　Maryland　Assembly　passed　in　1649　an　Act
concerning　Religion。　It　reveals；　upon　the　one　hand；　Christendom's
mercilessness　toward　the　freethinkerin　which　mercilessness；　whether
through　conviction　or　policy；　Baltimore　acquiescedand；　on　the　other　hand；
that　aspiration　toward　friendship　within　the　Christian　fold　which　is　even
yet　hardly　more　than　a　pious　wish；　and　which　in　the　seventeenth　century
could　have　been　felt　by　very　few。　To　Baltimore　and　the　Assembly　of　Maryland
belongs；　not　the　glory　of　inaugurating　an　era　of　wide　toleration　for　men
and　women　of　all　beliefs　or　disbeliefs；　whether　Christian　or　not；　but　the
real　though　lesser　glory　of　establishing　entire　toleration　among　the
divisions　within　the　Christian　circle　itself。　According　to　the　Act；*

〃Whatsoever　person　or　persons　within　this　Province　and　the　Islands
thereunto　belonging；　shall　from　henceforth　blaspheme　God；　that　is　curse
him；　or　deny　our　Saviour　Jesus　Christ　to　bee　the　sonne　of　God；　or　shall
deny　the　holy　Trinity；　。　。　。　or　the　Godhead　of　any　of　the　said　three
persons　of　the　Trinity；　or　the　unity　of　the　Godhead；　or　shall　use　or　utter
any　reproachful　speeches；　words　or　language　concerning　the　said　Holy
Trinity；　or　any　of　the　said　three　persons　thereof；　shall　be　punished　with
death　and　confiscation　or　forfeiture　of　all　his　or　her　lands　and　goods　to
the　Lord　Proprietary　and　his　heires　。　。　。　。　Whatsoever　person　or　persons
shall　from　henceforth　use　or　utter　any　reproachfull　words；　or　speeches；
concerning　the　blessed　Virgin　Mary；　the　Mother　of　our　Saviour；　or　the　holy
Apostles　or　Evangelists；　or　any　of　them；　shall　in　such　case　for　the　first
offence　forfeit　to　the　said　Lord　Proprietary　and　his　heires　the　sum　of　five
pound　sterling　。　。　。　。　Whatsoever　person　shall　henceforth　upon　any　occasion
。　。　。　declare；　call；　or　denominate　any　person　or　persons　whatsoever
inhabiting；　residing；　traffiqueing；　trading　or　comerceing　within　this
Province；　or　within　any　of　the　Ports；　Harbors；　Creeks　or　Havens　to　the　same
belonging；　an　heritick；　Scismatick；　Idolator；　puritan；　Independant；
Presbiterian；　popish　priest；　Jesuite；　Jesuited　papist；　Lutheran；　Calvenist；
Anabaptist；　Brownist；　Antinomian；　Barrowist；　Roundhead；　Sepatist；　or　any
other　name　or　term　in　a　reproachful　manner　relating　to　matter　of　Religion；
shall　for　every　such　Offence　forfeit　。　。　。　the　sum　of　tenne　shillings
sterling　。　。　。　。

〃Whereas　the　inforceing　of　the　conscience　in　matters　of　Religion　hath
frequently　fallen　out　to　be　of　dangerous　Consequence　in　those　commonwealths
where　it　hath　been　practised；　。　。　。　be　it　therefore　also　by　the　Lord
Proprietary　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　this　Assembly；　ordeyned　and
enacted　。　。　。　that　no　person　or　persons　whatsoever　within　this　Province　。　。
。professing　to　beleive　in　Jesus　Christ；　shall　from　henceforth　bee　any　waies
troubled；　molested　or　discountenanced　for　or　in　respect　of　his　or　her
religion　nor　in　the　free　exercise　thereof　。　。　。　nor　anyway　compelled　to　the
beleif　or　exercise　of　any　other　Religion　against　his　or　her　consent；　soe　as
they　be　not　unfaithfull　to　the　Lord　Proprietary　or　molest　or　conspire
against　the　civill　Government　。　。　。〃

*　〃Archives　of　Maryland；　Proceedings　and　Acts　of　the　General
Assembly〃；　vol。　I；　pp。　244…247。



CHAPTER　XI。　COMMONWEALTH　AND　RESTORATION

On　the　30th　of　January；　1649；　before　the　palace　of　Whitehall；　Charles　the
First　of　England　was　beheaded。　In　Virginia　the　event　fell　with　a　shock。
Even　those　within　the　colony　who　were　Cromwell's　men　rather　than　Charles's
men　seem　to　have　recoiled　from　this　act。　Presently；　too；　came　fleeing
royalists　from　overseas；　to　add　their　passionate　voices　to　those　of　the
royalists　in　Virginia。　Many　came；　〃nobility；　clergy　and　gentry；　men　of　the
first　rate。〃　A　thousand　are　said　to　have　arrived　in　the　year　after　the
King's　death。

In　October　the　Virginia　Assembly　met。　Parliament　menand　now　these　were
walking　with　head　in　the　airmight　regret　the　execution　of　the　past
January；　and　yet　be　prepared　to　assert　that　with　the　fall　of　the　kingdom
fell　all　powers　and　offices　named　and　decreed　by　the　hapless　monarch。　What
was　a　passionate　royalist　government　doing　in　Virginia　now　that　England　was
a　Commonwealth？　The　passionate　government　answered　for　itself　in　acts
passed　by　this　Assembly。　With　swelling　words；　with　a　tragic　accent；　it
denounced　the　late　happenings　in　England　and　all　the　Roundhead　wickedness
that　led　up　to　them。　It　proclaimed　loyalty　to　〃his　sacred　Majesty　that　now
is〃that　is；　to　Charles　Stuart；　afterwards　Charles　the　Second；　then　a
refugee　on　the　Continent。　Finally　it　enacted　that　any　who　defended　the　late
proceedings；　or　in　the　least　affected　to　question　〃the　undoubted　and
inherent　right　of　his　Majesty　that　now　is　to　the　Collony　of　Virginia〃
should　be　held　guilty　of　high　treason；　and　that　〃reporters　and　divulgers〃
of　rumors　tending　to　change　of　government　should　be　punished　〃even　to
severity。〃

Berkeley's　words　may　be　detected　in　these　acts　of　the　Assembly。　In　no　great
time　the　Cavalier　Governor　conferred　with　Colonel　Henry　Norwood；　one　of　the
royalist　refugees　to　Virginia。　Norwood　thereupon　sailed　away　upon　a　Dutch
ship　and　came　to　Holland；　where　he　found　〃his　Majesty　that　now　is。〃　Here　he
knelt；　and　invited　that　same　Majesty　to　visit　his　dominion　of　Virginia；
and；　if　he　liked　it；　there　to　rest；　sovereign　of　the　Virginian　people。　But
Charles　still　hoped　to　be　sovereign　in　England　and　would　not　cross　the
seas。　He　sent；　however；　to　Sir　William　Berkeley　a　renewal　of　his　Governor's
commission；　and　appointed　Norwood　Treasurer　of　Virginia；　and　said；
doubtless；　many　gay　and　pleasant　things。

In　Virginia　there　continued　to　appear　from　England　adherents　of　the　ancient
regime。　Men；　women；　and　children　came　until　to　a　considerable　degree　the
tone　of　society　rang　Cavalier。　This　immigration；　now　lighter；　now　heavier；
continued　through　a　rather　prolonged　period。　There　came　now　to　Vi